There’s this guy I know, let’s call him Nick.
Nick works in a major hospital as a pharmacist. He & I’ve been friends since high school. He and I also hail from the same area. In high school, he was the stereotypical “rich kid,” and subject to the maximum amount of disapproval. Naturally, I took a liking to him. He was this fat, easy-going guy.
After high school we’d hang out in town and hit on chics. His dad worked abroad so consequently he had a lot of money to play with. Soon after, I joined campus as Nick started processing his papers – he intended to go study abroad. I later discovered he was shamelessly flirting with my then girlfriend and so I severed contact with both of them.
Two years later we rekindled our friendship. I found out his dad had gotten deported and so Nick had joined a local university (K.U). He had scored an A- (minus) in his K.C.S.E. He now had to hustle to pay rent.
At some point I paid him a visit. He was living in some centre hapo near the school. A place called K.M. And he was a far cry from the guy I knew. He was sporting dreadlocks and was now a “plug.” He had a large stash of weed underneath his bed, which I joined him in smoking. At some point he took out some pills which he dropped in his mouth before rolling back on his pillow, with a dreamy look on his face. He told me the drugs were “ecstasy.” He offered me some. I flat out declined.
I was in a private university and this wasn’t the life I knew. Nick apparently had a kid and even knew all the ãbortion clinics in town. I accompanied him to some bar, where he pointed at some group of guys and regaled me with tales of how he once floored them in a bar fight. Using a broken bottle. I was in shock. He later winked at one of the bartenders – a young petite chic – and told me I could have her if I was interested. “She’ll charge you only 300/”, he said. I was dumbfounded. Of course I rejected the offer.
Weeks later he visited me in my campus. This was a private university where the slightest odour of alcohol WILL earn one a suspension. No dreadlocks. No funny hairstyle. My friends were all in wonder and asked me where I’d found the guy. One of my friends referred to him as “yule msee wa codeine.”
“Codeine. The fuck is that?” I asked.
“Oh, the stuff he’s drinking,” came the reply. I went in search of Nick and took a sip out of his water bottle.
“Oh it’s just cough syrup and sprite,” he explained. He later expressed wonder at my way of life. I couldn’t keep him from smoking weed in the school premises, so I stood guard as he puffed.
I proceeded to graduate school and broke all contact with the guy. Years later I spotted him in a white overall at some pharmacy. After the day was over, we went for a walk. He had a dreamy look on his face.
“Morphine, man. I administer morphine to patients and sometimes I pinch some vials,” he explained, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.